Khenpo karthar rinpoche biography examples
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Khenpo Rinpoche began traveling to New York City on a weekly basis to offer teachings at a fledgling center that soon became the New York City Karma Thegsum Choling (KTC). Further, Khenpo Rinpoche seemed to have thought of every close student and given them a final blessing in the natural course of their visiting him.
Clearly, Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche felt that after 96 years, his Dharma activities had been completed.
For example, to conduct a reading transmission of the 60 volumes of Karma Chakme’s writings, Khenpo Karthar had invited a deeply experienced lama, Vajra Master Lama Tobden, who was also the one qualified to initiate the practice of Mahadevi at KTD in October (one of Rinpoche’s last wishes). By the early 1980s, centers had been founded in Chicago, Ann Arbor, Santa Fe, Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Seattle, Chapel Hill, and other cities.
Rinpoche traveled to New York City and then on to Woodstock, NY, where he founded Karma Triyana Dharmachakra (KTD) Monastery and a series of local teaching centers across the United States. Since His Holiness left Tibet in January 2000, Rinpoche has led several pilgrimages to visit him in India, and in 2008, 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2018, Rinpoche hosted the 17th Karmapa Orgyen Trinley Dorje in residence at KTD.
In July 2010, Rinpoche organized and presided over the first Kagyu Monlam (a prayer gathering) held in the Americas. This is why when reciting his long life prayer, instead of saying, “May he live long,” we now say, “May his wishes be fulfilled.” Of the three types of generosity, this offering of practice is the best.
The Relics
October 27,which marked the beginning of the third week after Rinpoche’s passing, coincided with the 29th day in the Tibetan calendar, especially dedicated to the protectors and one of the days when extensive pujas are done in the monasteries.
In a fresh addition to the tradition, lay disciples led the procession, carrying flowers and white scarves. Taking what sacred objects and texts they could carry, the group began an arduous journey to Central Tibet, during which they were surrounded by a hostile army. Every year until 2019, Khenpo Rinpoche opened the door to a profound text on meditation or philosophy, including teachings on mahamudra and Karma Chakme’s famous Mountain Dharma, which has been published in four volumes by KTD Publications.
Throughout the 1980s, Rinpoche was not only teaching, but also fully involved in overseeing the building of a new monastery at KTD, situated next to the original building.
It is important, he continued, to practice these empowerments and in meditation as much as possible at this time.
Through the late 90s, he organized and led several pilgrimages to Tsurphu Monastery in Tibet to meet the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa and hosted the 12th Tai Situ Rinpoche (the 17th Karmapa's guru) at KTD for a series of residential teachings. Originally composed by Lama Karma Drodhul at the request of the abbot of Thrangu Monastery, Lodroe Nyima Rinpoche, for Thrangu Monastery in East Tibet.
After a month's rest, the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa sent them on to take refuge in Bhutan, where Khenpo Rinpoche remained for eight years. Rinpoche oversaw the construction of two retreat buildings, an Ani House where nuns and laywomen could live and practice, and the Lama House to accommodate visiting Rinpoches and individual short-term retreats.
For example, we all have wisdom deities within, but cannot see them due to our obscurations. High lamas can pass away without leaving relics and average lamas can leave relics. Thus it happened that in the following spring, Rinpoche was on an airplane bound for New York City to begin a very different life as a teacher of the Dharma in a culture and environment far removed from his home in Eastern Tibet.
Arriving in the United States
With three other Tibetans from his Karma Kagyu lineage, Rinpoche moved into a house, which sat at the edge of 375 rustic acres of land in Putnam County, New York.
The four groups of practitioners now reassembled in the four directions around the stupa: the Akshobhya group was in the east, the Gyalwa Gyatso in the south, the Amitabha in the west, and the Kunrik in the north.
As the sounds of the pujas resounded, people came forward to circumambulate the purkhang and offer their last flowers and katas to Rinpoche, whose presence was strongly felt.
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by Lama Karma Drodhul, translated by Lama Yeshe Gyamtso,
foreword by the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje
KTD Publications 2008
ISBN: 978-1-934608-05-0
hardcover
5.5 x 8.5 in., 128 pages
Tibetan and English
$19.95
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Amrita of Eloquence is beautifully written by Lama Karma Drodhul (Rinpoche’s nephew and disciple), and elegantly translated by Lama Yeshe Gyamtso, with a foreword by the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, and prefaces by the Ninth Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche and the Ninth Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche.
“These are special relics of the kudung,” he said, “and it’s important to put them in a clear, crystal glass container and mix them with tsampaka flowers and dried saffron. This is also true for what are known as subtle wisdom relics.
The Lopon then related the famous story of Asanga, who had spent twelve years in retreat, engaged in the practice of Maitreya but had no results.
Today, he said, we are talking about kudung ringsel, which can take different forms, such as shining seeds or sharil (bones and flesh that have been burnt together). During this time, many people saw that Rinpoche’s kudung had become smaller day by day.